Basketball backstops



Dec. 8, 1959 e. R. CHERVENKA 2,916,283

BASKETBALL BACKSTOPS Filed Sept. 7, 1956 FIG. I.

2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGS.

INVENTOR GEORGE R. CHERVENKA 4 BY I ATTbRNEY Dec. 8, 1959 Filed Sept.'7, 1956 G. R. CHERVENKA 2,916,288

BASKETBALL BACKSTOPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

GEORGE R. CHERVENKA ATTORNEY United States Patent BASKETBALL BACKSTOPSGeorge R. Chervenka, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Fred MedartManufacturing Co., St. Louis, Mo., 21 corporation of MissouriApplication'September 7, 1956, Serial No. 608,569

7 Claims. (Cl. 273.1.5)

This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvementsin basketball backstops and, more particularly, to a verticallyadjustable backstop for use in school gymnasiums, on playgrounds, andsimilar cations.

Most school gymnasiums are equipped in such a manner that the area canbe employed for various different types of activity. Forexample, theathletic equipment of all sorts can be removed and the chaiss or otherseating structures set up to convert the gymnasium into an auditoriumfor assemblies, dramatic performances, or other types of exercises forwhich chairs or similar theatre-type seating can be set up. On the otherhand, when basketball games are scheduled, the seating structures can beremoved from the playing area and the basketball backstops lowered fromthe ceiling into playing position. For such purpose, a number of typesof swinging basketball backstops have been devised, including frameworkmounted in the ceiling structure upon suitable hinges and providedwith'ropes, cables, pulleys, and the like for optionally swinging thebackstop upinto-inoperative position and lowering it into operativeposition. These backstops, however, are all constructed to come to restin operative position at the so-calledstandard height for adultbasketball games.

In elementary schools, the multiple use to which gymnasiums must be putinclude not only different types of activities, but also different typesof equipment to fit children at different age levels. The 'smallerchildren, obviously, cannot use equipment of a size and type-solelyadapted for adult and teenage use. For basketball playing, it is,therefore, necessary to provide lower backstops or baskets for theyounger children, but within the size limitations of ordinary elementaryschool gymnasiums and even secondary school gymnasiums, it is difficult,if not well nigh impossible, to provide a plurality of basketball courtshaving backstops and baskets at the various different height levelsabove the floor requisite-to the needs of younger and smaller children.Consequently, most schools either adopt a compromise basket height,which inconveniences the older and taller players, or eliminate entirelyany provision for younger children.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the presentinvention to providea basketball backstop and supporting structure which can readily beadjusted to any height above the floor within rather broad limits so asto enable a basketball playing area to be quickly and readily adapted tothe needs of children of various different age levels.

It is another object of the present invention to provide aheight-adjustable backstop which is rugged and will withstand theveryconsiderable-impact forces imposed upon it during active use.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide aheight-adjustable backstop which can be adjusted from floor level in asimple, convenient, and speedy manner.

It is an additional object of the present invention'to provide a'basketball backstopof the type stated which 2,916,288 Patented Dec. 8,19.5.9

can be adjusted to any desired height accurately and precisely and isequipped with visual means to assist in 'such adjustment,

It is a further object of the present invention to provide aheight-adjustable backstop which can be readily installed on anyexisting type of basketball backstop mounting equipment.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention resides in thenovel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination ofparts presently de scribed and pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings (two sheets):

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away and in section, of abasketball backstop constructed-in accordance with and embodying'thepresent'invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the basketball backstop;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the basketball backstop;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the operating crank forming a part ofthe present invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 3;and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to thedrawings, A designates a basketball backstop structure comprising twospaced parallel tubular main legs 1, 1', which extend upwardly to theceiling or roof-supporting girders of the gymnasium and are theremounted in any conventional or suitable manner. Inasmuch as the mountingof the upper end of these main legs 1, 1, does not form a part of thepresent invention, such mounting means is not shown or particularlydescribed herein.

Clamped upon the lower ends of the main legs 1, 1 as shown in Fig. l, bymeans of split collars 2,2, 3,3, are tubular sleeves 4,4. The splitcollars 2,2, 3,3, are substantially identical'in construction and areeach provided with a clamping bolt 5 having a conventional nut 6. Bymeans of the clamping bolt '5 and nut 6, the severalsplit collars 2,2,3,3, can be adjusted to-bear tightly or loosely against the legs 1,1, soas to afford a means for adjusting the height of the sleeves 4, 4, withrespect to the legs 1,1, and also for permitting the sleeves 4, 4, to beinstalled upon main legs 1 which may already be installed in thegymnasium.

The tubularsleeves 4, 4, are, furthermore, exactly the same length andarranged in precise parallelism so that the upper and lower endsthereof, are substantially at the same height level above the floor whenthebackstop structure A is operatively'mounted upon the supporting mainlegs 1, 1'. Bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to, andextending'horizontally between, the sleeves 4, 4', is a cross-frame'7which is centrally provided with a vertically bored and tapped nuts heldin place by set screws-9 having trunnion-ends 10, so that the nut 8 canrock slightly about a transverse horizontal axis and thereby accommodateitself toany minor inaccuracies in manufacture as the backstop structureA is assembled for ultimate use.

Slidably and telescopically mounted in, and extending through, thesleeves 4, 4', are sliding legs 11, 11, provided at their upper endswith stop screws 12 and at their lower ends with vertically spaced pairsof clampingbrackets 13, 13, 14, 14. Respectively welded, riveted, orotherwise rigidly attached to the clamping-brackets '13, 13', areforwardly offset mounting plates 15, 15', and similarly carried by thelower clamping-brackets14,14, are forwardly extending bracket arms 16,16, the plates 15, 1'5, and bracket arms 16, 16', being conventionallyattached to the rear base of -a basketball backboard B which may be ofany conventional contour construction and is equipped in the usualmanner with a conventional basket b.

Clamped tightly around each of the sliding legs 11, 11', just below theclamping-brackets 13, 13', are sleeves 17, 17', respectively, which arerigidly engaged with the opposite ends of a transversely extendingbracebar 18. Mounted centrally in the bracebar 18 is a vertical bearingsleeve 19 having upper and lower horizontal thrustcollars 20, 21.Threadedly mounted in the nut 8, and extending vertically therethrough,is a long adjustment screw 22 which is threaded for the major portion ofits entire length but is unthreaded at its lower end and is, at suchlower end, diametrally reduced to provide a spindle-portion 23 which isrotatably mounted in, and extends through, the bearing sleeve 19 andthrough a ballthrust bearing assembly 24. At its lowermost end, thescrew 22 is further turned down and threaded to provide a terminalportion 25 upon which is mounted a hangernut 26, the latter beingthreaded up tightly and held rigidly in place by a pin 27. Welded orotherwise rigidly mounted upon the under face of the hanger-nut 26 andextending downwardly therefrom is a U-shaped eye-forming member 28adapted to receive the upper hooked end 29 of an elongated hand crank h.

Each of the sleeves 4, 4', is provided in its outwardly presentedlateral face with a rigidly welded nut 30, which is aligned with adrilled and tapped hole 31 for receiving the threaded end 32 of alocking bolt 33, the head 34 of which is welded to a C-shaped actuatorhandles 35, all as best seen in Fig. 6.

Adjustably mounted upon the lower end of the main leg 1 is a pointerelement 36 extending forwardly toward the lower exposed end of thesliding leg 11, the latter being provided with a series of suitablyimprinted graduations g which afford a visual indication of the heightadjustment of the backstop structure A and, more particularly, thebasket b.

In use, the backstop structure may be shifted vertically to any desiredheight by inserting the hooked end 29 of the handle h in the eye-formingelement 28 and rotating the screw 22 in the appropriate direction toraise or lower the entire structure, the sliding legs 11, 11', shiftingsuitably within the auxiliary elements 4, 4'. When the desired heightadjustment has been achieved, the hooked end 29 of the handle k can beremoved from the eyeforming element 28 of the screw 22 and hooked intothe actuating handle 35 of the clamping screws 32. By appropriatelyrotating this handle 35, the locking bolts 33 can be threaded inwardlyinto tight clamping engagement against the sliding legs 11, 11, all asbest seen in Fig. 6. In order to change the adjustment of the basket b,it is merely necessary to loosen the locking bolts 33 by use of thehandle h and then re-engage the hooked end of the handle 29 with theeye-forming element 28 of the screw 22, so that the screw can again berotated in the appropriate direction to shift the basketball backstop Band the supported basket b upwardly or downwardly as may be necessary tothe new height.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form,construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of thebasketball backstops may be made and substituted for those herein shownand described without departing from the nature and principle of mymvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. For use with a basketball backstop structure, a height-adjustableback board support comprising a pair of spaced parallel tubular members,a transverse element extending between and supported by the tubularmembers, means slidably mounted in the tubular members for engagementwith the back board, a cross bar connected at its ends to and extendingbetween said means, a nut operatively mounted in the transverse member,and a '4 screw threadedly engaged in the nut and rotatably mounted inthe cross bar for shifting said means within the tubular members wherebyto vary the height of the back board.

2. For use with a basketball backstop structure, a height-adjustableback board support comprising a pair of spaced parallel tubular members,a transverse element extending between and supported by the tubularmembers, means slidably mounted in the tubular members for engagementwith the back board, a cross bar connected at its ends to and extendingbetween said means, a nut swivelly mounted in the transverse member, anda screw threadedly engaged in the nut and rotatably mounted in the crossbar for shifting said means within the tubular members whereby to varythe height of the back board.

3. A basketball backstop comprising a depending vertical framework, apair of spaced vertical slide-forming tubular members mounted on saidframework, a transverse element element extending between and supportedby the tubular members, a pair of elongated elements mounted in saidtubular members for vertical sliding movement therein, a cross barconnected at its ends and extending between said pair of elongatedelements, threaded means operatively mounted on the transverse member,and a screw rotatably mounted in said cross bar and threadedly engagedin said threaded means for shifting said elongated elements in unisonwithin said tubular members into any selected position of verticaladjustment within predetermined limits.

4. A backetball backstop comprising a depending vertical framework, apair of spaced vertical slide-forming tubular members mounted on saidframework, means for optionally adjusting the height of said tubularmembers with respect to said framework, a transverse element extendingbetween and supported by the tubular members, a pair of elongatedelements mounted in said tubular members for vertical sliding movementtherein, a cross bar connected at its ends and extending between saidpair of elongated elements, threaded means operatively mounted on thetransverse member, and a screw rotatably mounted in said cross bar andthreadedly engaged in said threaded means for shifting said elongatedelements in unison within said tubular members into any selectedposition of vertical adjustment within predetermined limits.

5. A basketball backstop comprising a depending vertical framework, apair of spaced vertical slide-forming tubular members mounted on saidframework, a transverse element extending between and supported by thetubular members, a pair of elongated elements mounted in said tubularmembers for vertical sliding movement therein, a cross bar connected atits ends and extending between said pair of elongated elements, threadedmeans operatively mounted on the transverse member, a screw rotatablymounted in said cross bar and threadedly engaged in said threaded meansfor shifting said elongated elements in unison within said tubularmembers into any selected position of vertical adjustment withinpredetermined limits, and means for optionally locking said elongatedelements in any selected position of adjustment.

6. A basketball backstop comprising a depending vertical framework, apair of spaced vertical slide-forming tubular members mounted on saidframework, a transverse element extending between and supported by thetubular members, a pair of elongated elements mounted in said tubularmembers for vertical sliding movement therein, a cross bar connected atits end and extending between said pair of elongated elements, threadedmeans operatively mounted on the transverse member, a screw rotatablymounted in said cross bar and threadedly engaged in said threaded meansfor shifting said elongated elements in unison within said tubularmembers into any selected position of vertical adjustment withinpredetermined releasable bolt means for locking said elongated elementsin any selected position of adjustment, and a hook-like actuator formedon said bolt-like means.

7. A basketball backstop comprising a depending vertical framework, apair of spaced vertical slide-forming tubular members mounted on saidframework, a transverse element extending between and supported by thetubular members, a pair of elongated elements mounted in said tubularmembers for vertical sliding movement therein a cross bar connected atits ends and extending between said pair of elongated elements, threadedmeans operatively mounted on the transverse member, a screw rotatablymounted in said cross bar and threadedly engaged in said threaded meansfor shifting said elongated elements in unison Within said tubularmembers into any selected position of vertical adjustment withinpredeter- 6 mined limits, an eye-forming element provided on the lowerend of said screw, releasable bolt means for looking said elongatedelements in any selected position of adjustment, and a hook-likeactuator formed on said bolt means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,116,091 McDonald Nov. 3, 1914 1,504,166 Thornley Aug. 5, 19241,708,702 Moorhouse Apr. 9, 1929 2,688,901 Haugaard Sept. 14, 19542,697,479 Fesler Dec. 21, 1954 2,707,104 Killick Apr. 26, 1955 2,712,445Barclay et a1. July 5, 1955

